Changed – Easter 2015

Sermon Notes & Group Questions

Three Stories Of Life Change

1. Mary Magdalene

John 20:11-14 – “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.”

2. The Disciples

John 20:19 - “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'”

3. Thomas

John 20:24-25 – “Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

John 20:27-29 – “Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

1 Corinthians 15:17 – “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

Proof of the Resurrection

Written Scripture

An empty tomb

Empty grave clothes

Post-resurrection appearances to over 500 people

Fulfilled prophecies

Changed lives

John 20:30-31 – “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

How Can I Go From Being An Unbeliever To Being A Believer?

Romans 10:9 - “If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

• FAITH!

Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:1 (The Message) – “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) – “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

John 20:29 – “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Q1: Notes

Q2: What would you say is one of the biggest changes (culture, technology, political, etc.) you have seen in your lifetime?

Read John 20:11-18

Q3: Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene after he was raised from the dead. Mary was overcome with grief over Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus calls out to her and changes her outlook. Is there a time in your life you feel God spoke to you (through the Bible, a circumstance, a friend, or in his still, small voice) at a time when you were overwhelmed? Share your experience with your group.

Read John 20:19-23

Q4: When Jesus appeared to the disciples they were locked up in a room for fear of what the Jews might do to them (after seeing what they did to Jesus, it’s understandable). But Jesus did not leave them in their fear but called them to be the ones to spread his story to the world. In what way has fear affected your ability to do what you believe God wants you to do?

Read John 20:24-29

Q5: Thomas struggled with a common issue of questioning God. There are many ways that we struggle with doubting God as well. In what way do you struggle to believe God?

Read John 20:26

Q6: In each of these stories in John 20 there is a story of a person like you who sees a situation differently as a result of an encounter with Jesus. Is there a situation in your life that you feel you need for Jesus to bring change? Share that with your group. One of the main purposes of our groups is building authentic community. Authentic communities pray and support one another!